A member of Brown’s first Ivy Championship Team in 1976,
Michael Lancaster was recently selected as a member of
Brown’s 125th Anniversary Team. Eight defensive
linemen were chosen to the team as Lancaster now becomes the eighth
and final member of that group to enter the Hall of Fame.

One of the few sophomores who played regularly on Brown’s
1976 Ivy League Championship Team, Lancaster recorded 31 tackles
along with two fumble recoveries. One of those fumble recoveries
came in the season-closer with Columbia, stopping the Lions’
last scoring effort, as the Bears clinched the Ivy title with a
28-17 victory.

The Bears were holding on to a 21-17 lead, but Columbia was
driving for the go-ahead score with less than three minutes to
play. With the ball on Brown’s 33-yard line, the Lions
attempted a run to the left side of the line. “Lanky”
beat the center, made contact behind the line of scrimmage, caused
a fumble and recovered it on his own, helping Brown to its
first-ever Ivy Championship.

As a junior in 1977, he finished fourth on the team with 54
tackles, including nine in the Bears’ season-opener against
Yale. Brown was sixth in the nation in total defense that
year, allowing just 230.1 yards per game.

Lancaster earned First Team All-Ivy honors as a senior in 1978,
registering 62 tackles and 2.5 sacks that season as a middle guard.
A member of the 1970’s All-Decade Team, Lancaster also
received the BFA Defensive Lineman Award in 1978.

His Class of 1979, which also includes the likes of Mark
Whipple, Bob Forster, Ron Brown, etc., had the best three-year
record in Brown Football history (21-4), a mark that was just
recently eclipsed by Brown’s Class of 2002.

“Mike is one of the hardest workers. He’s a
great pass rusher and has strength, excellent quickness while
stunting and great reaction,” said Bears’ Head Coach
John Anderson.

In addition to football, Lancaster also played rugby and
intramural hockey for the Bears. He was also used as
“fodder” for the wrestling team heavyweights during
their preseason training. During the 1980’s Lancaster played
in two National Men’s Club Rugby Championship Tournaments as
a member of the Milwaukee Rugby Club. From 1990 to 2000 he was a
member of the Providence Rugby Football Club and was named to the
All-Decade Team.

Lancaster has worked for the General Electric Company for the
past 21 years. He resides in Foxborough, MA with his wife, Diane.
Their son, Michael, attends Stonehill College, and their son, John,
will enter Georgetown University next fall, playing football for
the Hoyas.